Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-14
General Vandevcr Posing as q
Martyr.

Yesterdays Tribune, under the head
"It will not do, has the following strik.
ing editorial comments upon the answer
of General Vandever to the notice of
contest of Mr.. Lynch for the seat in Con-
gress from this district:
A saunch Republican has called at
this office, not, we are frank to say,
avowedly in the interest OF General Van
dever, but in the spirit of Friendship to.
wards that distinguished gentleman to
explain why the answer to Colonel
Lynch was made partisan rather than
personal.
The opinion of this Republican is that
his seat, anyhow; and, accordingly, in
addition to bis formal answer to allega-
tons of fraud, he has deliberately in
vited martyrdom. That his elaborate
paper, which we printed on yesterday,
is intended not so much to secure him
the seat to which the electors of this
Congress district appointed him, as to
establish case of sympathy for use two
years hence.
If this Republican is right in bis view,
we must reply that there are two strong
objections to its being also taken by Cen
eral Vandever. One is that it was not a
seat in the Congress to be chosen in 1888
that be was intended for, but seat in
the Congress that was elected last No
vember. 1t is his duty to defend his
right to that seat with the weapons at
hand; and he should use those weapons
with skill and effect, in order that the
Republicans of this district be not de-
prived of voice in the National House
of Representatives. He has no need to
proceed as though he would certainly be
ousted. Cases of contest are not often
improperly decided. Nearly always
eminent lawyers who have characters
to maintain have held positions on the
Elections Committee, and they have
generally passed judicially on the evi.
dence. General Vandever will have be.
fore that committee case that in fair
probability will be determined upon
the evidence, and in accordance with
law.
If he is wise he will coAine himse If
when he gets to Washington to showing
that Colonel Lynch's allegations of
wrong doing and false counts are not
true, and to showing fraud and irregu.
lar acts, if he can, that were practiced
by his adversary's agents; and then
leave the whole matter to the judgment
Of Congress, unprovoked on its Demo.
cratic side by heated arraignment oi
the entire Democratic party to turn him
out, simply because he is Republican
who had failed to placate his judges
In our opinion it will be easy for General
Vandever to take and keep his seat, il
he but shows just little wisdom. There
is no wisdom at all exhibited in the lat.
ter part of his answer to Colonel
Lynch's notice Of contest.
We have not said all that could be
urged in support of our first objection to
accepting as wise the justification oi
General Vandever, that our Republican
friend has volunteered for our benefit
but we pass to our second objection.
The elected Representative from this
Congress district has no right to invite
martyrdom,--it is not martyr the Re
publicans want, but live member Of
Congress. He should not look beyond
the present for vindica'ion. He is nc
longer young, and he cannot be sure
that two years hence some younger man
will not be preferred to make the race
Certainly if-he shall fail to maintain hii
present seat through any blundering or
his part, the cry of martyr will not avail
him. It is with him, now or never
And he should at once withdraw OF
amend his answer. As it stands to-day
it will not do.